Developing employee proactivity in entrepreneurial ventures through training: an organisational identity approach

Purpose This study aims to explore how training influences employee proactive behaviours in entrepreneurial ventures. Specifically, the study develops and tests a model in which organisational identification (OID) mediates the relationship between perceptions of training and two employee proactive behaviours: taking charge and creative behaviour. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 136 employee-supervisor dyads from 24 entrepreneurial ventures in Malaysia’s high technology industry. Smart–partial least square structural equations modelling was used to test our proposed hypothesis. Findings The findings suggest that entrepreneurial ventures can use training to strengthen employees’ identification with the ventures, which in turn encourages proactive behaviours. Originality/value This study shows how HRD practices found in larger firms can work in different ways to influence desirable behaviours among employees of entrepreneurial firms. Specifically, by demonstrating how the relationship between training and employee proactive behaviours occurs through OID in the context of entrepreneurial ventures, the authors provide a complementary explanation of how HRD practices in entrepreneurial ventures can influence employee positive behaviours.